Stewardship in Babylon
For we walk by faith, not by sight.
(2 Corinthians 5:7)
We live in a world with interactive technology that allows us to visualize our thoughts. The scientific term for this technology is a virtual reality. These simulated experiences can either serve for educational purposes like medical training or serve as profits for entertainment opportunities like video games - EA Sports, Minecraft, etc. Virtual reality links us with real-world activities while using an augmented or mixed reality from generating realistic images, sounds, and other sensations that simulate your physical presence in a virtual environment. A virtual reality can even transport you into an unrealistic environment that will consume your time, talent, and possession. Similarly, we must understand that we live simultaneously in a spiritual realm that can generate realistic activities just like a virtual reality if we become stewards of our time, talent, and possession in service for God. You can find many examples in the Bible of individuals who resisted worldly dominating influences and became worthy stewards by using their time, talents, and possessions toward service for God.
The Apostle Paul makes notes of the spiritual realm when he addressed the Corinthians church in his second letter by noting that we must “walk by faith, not by sight.” Think of faith as a virtual substance that you cannot see in the physical realm, but you can see it in the spiritual realm. In the 3rd chapter of Daniel, we can see faith as named by Apostle Paul when the question of stewardship materializes for three Jew men known for their Babylonian names: Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego. This story unfolds in 586 B.C. when King Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem and annihilated the Temple of God. The King carried the finest of Jerusalem, royal young men to Babylon for training in the ways of the Chaldeans, including their language and literature. The King even changed their names to indoctrinate them in the culture of Babylon, like we, as Americans, teach other nations about our capitalist views.
The term “image” is used seven different times in the first 14 verses in Daniel the 3rd chapter. King Nebuchadnezzar ordered the building of a 90-foot tall gold statue, with the intent of unifying his power among the nations by requesting all officials to attend this dedication ceremony. “The King sent to gather the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasures, the counselors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces to come.” (vs 3) During this ceremony when the music begins playing, all these individuals were to fall face down in worship of this image, and anyone who did not give reverence to this image, or refrain from bowing they would be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire. Please note that an idol can have two different meanings:
1) a religious image that is worshipped as a god or
2) a person who is so admired and he/she replaces God.
In other words, an idol (or an image) is something or someone who replaces God because you dedicate all your time, talents, and possession to fulfill its purpose. Remember, a virtual reality works by linking you with real-world activities while using a mixed reality from generating realistic images which claim all your time, talents, and possession. An image will consume everything, it will demand all your time, use all your talents, and take all your possessions. Yet, as steward of the living God, you must learn to draw a line when it comes to your time, talents, and possessions.
Please note that King Nebuchadnezzar gives them another opportunity to bow down in verse 15:
When you hear the sound of the rams’ horns, flutes, lyres, harps, and three-stringed harps playing at the same time with all other kinds of instruments, will you bow down and worship the gold statue I made? If you do not worship it, you will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace. What god can save you from my power then?”
Although, these young men find themselves well educated with prosperous careers working for a super powerful nation under the King Nebuchadnezzar, their response proves that their time, talents, and possession belong to God instead of their status in Babylon. Notice their response to the King.
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar, “We don’t need to answer your last question. 17 If it be so, our GOD whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. 18 But if he doesn’t, you should know, Your Majesty, we’ll never serve your gods or worship the golden image that you set up.”
After their declaration or when they drew that line in the sand explaining that we cannot cross this line, faith becomes prevalent. Because of faith, they were thrown in fiery furnace which was heated seven time the usual heat. Even the King Nebuchadnezzar sees this faith by saying,
24b “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” 25“Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.”
As believers we must walk by faith instead of sight because only through your faith others will really see God. When we find ourselves drawing that line of remaining stewards of our time, talents, and possession for the service of God, then, we will know that our Savior will join us in the fiery furnace just like with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you a blaze. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior." Isaiah 43::2-3.